The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-07-25

|
these ends II Is the right OF the people
to alter or abolish II, and to institute u
new government, laying It's foundations
on such principles, and organizing its
powers in such form as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their safety
and happiness" This declaration was
addressed to the king and the very first
complaint In il is that "he has refused
his assent to laws the most wholesome
and necessary for the public good. "
Alex, ii. Stevens in his article on gov
ernment after defining sovereignty and
what II takes to constitute state. and
| that a state, rs an individual, should in
its action be governed by the universal,
moral law proceeds and states that 'the
operation OF these laws in such poll.
tical organization in its origin as we'll as
in its aftergrowth and devolopement
physically. intellectually and morally is
what is understood by the government
Of such state" Our government is an
aggregated organism composed of GER
tain elements, which are termed individ-
uals. These individual elements are
physical intellectual and moral beings
and in their actions should be governed
not only by physical and intellectual
laws, but also by that general moral law
| that almost universal or rather national
| conscientious PERCEPTION of what is
right and wrong: and organized society
being composed of this character OF
elements necessarily partakes of this
| character. and consequently should be
governed by the same great general law.
Our national and state supreme courts
enunciate the same principle.
Mr.. Pollack in his work on the Science
Of Politics says: "Not only material Sc
curity, but the perfection of human and
social life is what we aim at in that or
ganized cooperation of many mems lives
and works which is called the state"
Justice McLain in discussing this very
question 3 IL. 800 among other things
says. Everything prcjudicial to the
health or morals OF a city (state) may be
removed. This power is essential to
self-preseryaton and exists necessarily
in every organized community. 1t is in
deed the law of human nature, and is
possessed by man in his individual capa-
city. He may resist that which does
him harm whether he be assailod by an
assassin or approached by poison And
it is the settled construction Of every reg
uation of commerce that under the
sanction of its general laws, no person
can Introduce into community milign
ant diseases or any thing which con
tam mates its morals or endangers ITS
safety. And this is an acknowledged
principle applicable to all general regu-
lations"
In la. "a, Justice Greene in discuss
ing a law prohibiting the sale eff intoXi-
cants uses this very forCeful language
1t chat is the statute) seeks to abolish
general and growing evil which is hav-
ing most degrading effect upon the
moral and physical condition of our
race 1t seeks to keep men from the
common use OF those intoxicating and
poisonous beverages which so frequently
lead to the runin of property, character
and health. and are proved to be the
leading incentives to crime. 1t seeks to
promote the general welfare by prohi-
biting an excessive vice which is doing
more to disqualfy men for self-govern
ment than all other influences combined.
1t seeks to keep men in better condi-
ton to enjoy and protect their natural
and legal rights. by drying up those cor
| TuD SOURCES vi NlOlcHtC anu lloH
which can be traced most of the out
RACES upon those inalienable rights OF
life. liberty, property, safety and hap
piness, which our constitution claims to
protect. A law having such objects in
view, striking as il does at the foun-
tain head of the evil and still doing no
violence to the political rights OF the of
fender cannot be regarded AZ unconstitu-
| tional.
The above is the universal judicial
opinion in this country on this and
kindred subjects rs has often been dis
cussed in this canvass, and which has
not been and cannot be contradicted
In the republican constitution OF
France, adopted in 1913, is enumerated
this principal that the government
should by the successive and constant
action of her institutions and laws cause
the whole body of citizens 20 attain
constantly increasing degree of morality
intelligence and prosperity" and in the
Declaration Of the rights of man made
by the French Republic in 1793, 1t says
that the object OF society is the general
welfare" which principle is also moor
porated in our own federal constitution
In the democratic platform of May lS4S
and in the above mentioned constitution
Of Republican France of Nov. 1913 and
in the general theory and practice OF
our free institutions we find that the
principals of Democratic government
are. liberty. equality and fraternity, and
that its basis is family labor. property.
public order. virtue tn intelligence.
From the above we deduce the follow
ing. that free governments are institu-
ted for the common benefit, general wei
fare, happiness and security OF the whole
people, not Tor the material and physical